Posts Tagged ‘discernment’
Finding God’s Will in Community: Exploring a process for corporate leadership discernment
“If we’re not discerning God’s will together in fairly intentional ways, what are we doing?” —Ruth Haley Barton It was a conversation similar to many I’ve had with Christian leaders. A pastor from a large church in Colorado was telling me his church was going through a major transition as it tried to respond to…
Read MoreFrom Decision-Making to Discernment: One Leader’s Experience
“If we are not pursuing the will of God together in fairly intentional ways, what are we doing? Our own will? What seems best according to our own thinking and planning? That which is merely strategic or expedient or good for the ego?” —Ruth Haley Barton Years ago I remember watching the doctor who invented…
Read MorePart 1: Beyond Teamwork: Spiritual Community at the Leadership Level
“Christian community is founded solely on Jesus Christ and in fact, it already exists in Christ. It is not an ideal which we must realize, it is rather a reality created by God in Christ in which we may participate.” –Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together It is much easier to talk about community—and even try to create…
Read MoreInvitation to Discernment in Community
Note: The following case study from the NEW Pursuing God’s Will Together is fictitious and yet it is all true. Everything that happens at “Grace Church” is based on the real life experiences of leadership groups from various churches and organizations, highlighting some of the questions and issues that invite us to embark on the journey…
Read MoreWarning: Content may be disruptive to your understanding of Christian life, leadership and community
Below are some of the early endorsements of Pursuing God’s Will Together: A Discernment Practice for Leadership Groups (InterVarsity Press, June 2012). If you would like to be one of the first to read it and receive the lowest price, pre-order from Amazon. Check back here on the Transforming Center blog or follow us on…
Read MorePart 5: Discerning and Doing the Will of God
Editors note: During the launch of the fall ministry season, we offer you part 5 of our eReflections series encouraging you to establish spiritual rhythms that will strengthen the soul of your leadership. Click on the link to read part 1, part 2, part 3, and part 4 of this series. “Decision making has its…
Read MoreDiscernment: Finding God in All Things
“Discernment in its fullness takes a practiced heart, fine-tuned to hear the word of God and the single-mindedness to follow that word in love. It is truly a gift from God, but not one dropped from the skies fully formed. It is a gift cultivated by a prayerful life and the search for self-knowledge.” –Ernest…
Read MoreDiscerning God’s Will Together: Discovering a Process of Leadership Discernment
It was a conversation similar to many I have had with Christian leaders. A pastor from a large church was telling me that his church was going through a major transition as its leaders tried to respond to the growth they were experiencing. They had outgrown their facility (a good problem to have!) so the…
Read MoreThe Transforming Leader: Giving the Best I’ve Got
Spiritual transformation has become quite the buzzword in Christian circles today. The good news is that it speaks to our desire for more in the spiritual life: more than just head knowledge, more than rules that merely govern external behaviors, more than religious activity loaded onto lives that already feel unmanageable. The language of spiritual…
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